The researchers expect that such investigations
ultimately could offer insights into related neuroscientific issues such as the
neural origins of hallucinated voices in schizophrenia and the delusional sense
of being controlled by someone else.

“As
our understanding of the microbiome grows, we see a new opportunity for new
questions and new understanding of brain disorders ranging from autism and
depression,” says one researcher at the recent Society for Neuroscience annual
meeting. Others agree.